Miami's Beck, Ole Miss' Chambliss take different paths to CFP

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Miami's Carson Beck is the prototypical power-program quarterback, a former four-star prospect with a massive NIL portfolio who knows what it's like to play on the big stage. Mississippi's Trinidad Chambliss nearly gave up football, won a Division II national championship and has shined since being unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight. Their paths will converge in the desert at Thursday's Fiesta Bowl, with a spot in the national championship game on the line. "Only four teams have the opportunity to go play this week," Beck said. "I'm super grateful for that." Beck has been building toward this since starring as a high schooler in Jacksonville, Florida. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound pro-style passer won a national championship in 2022 — the Bulldogs' second straight — as a backup to Stetson Bennett IV, learning as he went. Beck took those lessons onto the field, throwing for more than 7,000 yards and 52 touchdowns in the next two seasons while leading Georgia to 24 wins. A knee injury kept Beck out of the Bulldogs' College Football Playoff loss against Notre Dame in early 2025 and, after initially declaring for the NFL draft, he opted to transfer to Miami, a school with a potent offense and plenty of NIL cash to throw around. He's been a perfect fit. Poised and steady, Beck has thrown for 3,313 yards and 27 touchdowns on 74% passing with 10 interceptions. He led the Hurricanes (12-2, CFP No. 10 seed) to wins over Texas A&M and Ohio State in the playoffs and is 36-5 as a starter as he winds down his college career. "He's very experienced, he's been successful everywhere he's been," Ole Miss coach Pete Golding said. "He's always had his teams competing at a championship level and being in the playoffs." Chambliss' career took a different trajectory. With no Division I offers out of high school, the quarterback from Grand Rapids, Michigan, opted to play at Ferris State, where he redshirted the first two seasons — the second due to respiratory issues. He considered transferring to a Division III school to give college basketball a try, but chose to give football one more shot. Good decision. Chambliss led the Bulldogs to the Division II national championship in 2024, leading to offers from numerous Division I programs. He chose to play at Ole Miss, figuring he would be a backup but at least have the DI experience. Chambliss' fate changed when starter Austin Simmons went down with an ankle injury during the second game of the season. Chambliss took off and kept going, throwing for 353 yards against Arkansas in his first start and playing so well he kept the starting job once Simmons was healthy. The dual-threat quarterback put pressure on defenses all season, rocketing passes into tight windows with his strong arm while extending plays with his legs. Chambliss has thrown for 3,660 yards and 21 touchdowns with just three interceptions on 66% passing, adding 520 yards and eight more scores rushing. He led the Rebels (13-1, CFP No. 6 seed) to a win over Tulane in the CFP opening round and picked apart Georgia in the quarterfinals with 362 yards and two touchdowns in a 39-34 win. "He's a limitless football player," Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. "Certainly, you could see on the sideline and watching some of the stuff on TV, his leadership skills and the way people gravitate to him. He's had a tremendous impact on the program and plenty of respect for him." So has Beck, setting up a showdown in the desert. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football